RPI hockey team searching for offense

RPI looking to end dry spell in pair of games vs. Bentley

By Matt Graves

Updated 10:36 pm, Thursday, October 23, 2014

Troy

RPI's season-opening road trip began like a day at the beach. Then came the drought.

The Engineers began their regular season with an upset of Notre Dame in a tournament in South Bend, Ind., but they then came within 35 seconds of being shut out in three consecutive games over the next eight days.

Only a power-play goal by Chris Bradley at 19:25 of the third period at Denver this past Saturday night kept RPI from going nine periods without a goal.

Following the rough road encounters against three nationally ranked opponents, the Engineers finally get to play at home this weekend with back-to-back games against Atlantic Hockey's Bentley.

More Information

College hockey

Bentley at RPI

7 p.m. Friday; 7 p.m. Saturday

St. Cloud State at Union

7 p.m. Friday; 7 p.m. Saturday

"Friday night we just didn't have the jump we need to play with a winning team," RPI coach Seth Appert said after a spirited practice this past week at Houston Field House. "It was 0-0 about 33-34 minutes in because we were getting great goaltending. We could have stolen that game. On Saturday, we just got into penalty trouble."

Those penalties led to three power-play goals for Denver in the first period, and that was it for that game. Now RPI has been outscored 12-4 in the first four games, a lopsided statistic the Engineers hope to begin flipping this weekend.

"I try not to think about that," said junior goaltender Jason Kasdorf, who will be in the home net for the first time since a memorable freshman season. "I just try to do my thing. You've just got to focus on what you do. If everybody does their part, then the goals will come."

Last year Kasdorf suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in the second game of the campaign, at Boston College, and required surgery. He said the issue is behind him, and he's optimistic things will get better for the Engineers.

"It's going to be exciting to have our first home game," said Kasdorf, who was pulled in the second period of the 4-1 loss at Denver. "We're working on new plays, and I think the team is just kind of gelling together. I think that slowly over time as we play together more we'll improve. I think it's really good that we're playing these good teams."

Bentley (1-2-0) is coming off a 19-win season and returns six of its top seven scorers, including 25-goal scorer Alex Grieve and Steve Weinstein, whose 37 assists last season led all college defensmen. Junior Andrew Gladiuk, who had 37 points last season, has four goals in three games.

"We've done some things well, and we've struggled in some things," he said of the team's start. "That's kind of the reason you play those teams. You want to beat them, but you also want to play those teams to get exposed for what you're not doing that well, and then to work on those things you got exposed for. I thought what we struggled with was breaking the puck out. We turned the puck over too many times."

The Engineers will be looking to win their third consecutive home opener. Last season, they won their first three home games.